TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Just wondered what anyone else thinks of John Jones' version of Polly on the Shore
from his first solo album, Rising Road.  I quite like it, and feel like the whole album is very strong.  Just got it a day ago, but have listened to it several times already.
 
I'm as big a fan of Oysterband as I am of Fairport, but though I've seen Fairport live several times, I've never managed to catch the Oysterband on any of their rare appearances here in the states.

Just thought this new release might be worth pointing out to people here, I highly recommend it.  Several trad. songs, plus a few written by Jones.  Not a bad track on it, to my mind.

I agree with you Neil that it is a fine album and one which grows in stature with every listen. It is sufficiently Oyster like to please the faithful but sufficiently different to be justifiably a solo album. I've had it since the Big Session and it may be my favourite album of the year so far (though the Stackridge album is running it a close second). It delivers on the promise of the solo shows that JJ performed with Seth Lakeman and Benji Kirkpatrick some years ago, which I always hoped had been recorded.

As for Polly On The Shore, it is of course a traditional lyric to which Peggy put a new tune for the Fairport version. JJs version uses a different melody. I'm not sure if he has restored a traditional melody to it but it stands in it's own right and it is only when I listen to the lyric that I remember that it is the same song.

I read that Jones had been listening to Alan Lomax prison song recordings, and chose to do an a percussive, a cappela approach to the backing for the lyric.  I also think that he uses some different lyrics, which is something I enjoy in various renditions of traditional songs.